Sodium is one of the most important minerals in the body. The kidneys use sodium to maintain the proper balance of water and electrolytes—chemical substances such as sodium and potassium—and sodium is critical for water retention. But this very characteristic can cause problems with blood pressure.

Heat in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter affect blood pressure--the measure of the pressure of blood against the walls of the arteries--in a number of ways.

If your blood pressure is too high you have a higher risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack or stroke. Keeping your blood pressure under control means eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, losing weight and managing stress.

Approximately 3 million teenagers wear braces, according to research by toothpaste manufacturer Colgate. These orthodontic devices are used to correct tooth and jaw alignment, including overbites, underbites, crossbites and crowding. Metal brackets connected to a wire are mounted to the rear molars.

Donating blood is often described as giving the gift of life. While you may lose a little weight and burn some calories during a donation, giving blood should not be thought of as a weight loss tool. Think of it as a chance to help others in need.

A treadmill test, also called a stress test, is a tool doctors use to diagnose heart disease. Although your doctor may order a treadmill test because you exhibit symptoms such as chest pain or angina, this is not always the case.

The daily pattern for blood pressure readings usually peaks in the afternoon, falling at night and slowly rising from the time a person awakens. Blood pressure usually starts to drop once again in the late afternoon and early evening.

High blood pressure, also known has hypertension, contributed to the deaths of 410,000 Americans in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Pine tar, derived from pine trees, is actually impure turpentine, originally obtained by distilling the resins from the split fatwood of pine tree roots. Modern methods of obtaining the resins also include using steam pressure. Pine tar is a thick, brown liquid that carries the scent of pine.

People with heart failure or who have recently had cardiac surgery must be vigilant when beginning an exercise therapy routine. The American Heart Association says that the goal of exercise training is to help the cardiac patient regain activity tolerance but to do so cautiously.

One way in which the kidneys maintain blood pressure is through the regulation of the volume of blood in the body. As the American Heart Association explains, one of the major roles of the kidneys is maintaining the proper levels of electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) in the body.

Systolic blood pressure is the first number recorded in a blood pressure and is the top number. The measurement is a vital indicator of your health status. When diagnosed with hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, this number will be elevated.